Well, good evening.
So. So Ray spoke on. Second Thessalonians.
2 last week. And we got some feedback on Sunday. And, about, maybe, take some more time and develop some of these ideas from eschatology from end times.
Ray and I discussed it and, So we're gonna take a little detour.
Tonight. And. And perhaps some other nights as well, but maybe stop and develop some of these ideas because, if you remember on Wednesday.
There was a lot of. Information. And it might be good just to slow down and talk a little bit about some of these doctrines that we hold.
Some of these, you know, as we read scripture and we talk about end times, we talk about eschatology, we talk about pre millennialism and all these sorts of things maybe we just throw out And it might be good just to stop and talk about it for a bit.
So. You know, first and second, first and second Thessalonians had a lot of information.
About the man of sin the antichrist the rapture all these sorts of things and actually this probably, and when you think about the letters of Paul, those are probably the letters that have the most about future events.
And when I first got saved. I heard about some of these things. I heard about the rapture, the second coming, the tribulation.
And most people have some sort of concept of these ideas. People have an idea that Jesus is going to come back.
Oh, and you know, you know, they have an idea about the book of revelation.
They've heard of it. They think about it. I think there was a recent survey.
I mean, there's a huge amount of people that believe. That there's some sort of end time.
There's some, you know, Jesus is going to come back. It's a huge amount of people.
So it's something that people generally have a idea about. So I think we as believers should have a basic understanding.
Of some of these things have a basic understanding of what the Bible teaches. About these some of these doctrines.
So tonight, I thought it, what we could do is just go through all of that discourse, Matthew, 24.
And that's really I'm gonna spend my most of my time in Matthew 24 and Luke 21.
And one of the things that as I've, you know, in like I said, when I first got saved, I heard about all these things.
And so you're told. Well, Matthew, 24, this is about future events. And so I read it and I have that sort of understanding.
But, then sometimes maybe you hear about someone else who doesn't really believe that. Doesn't believe the Matthew, 24 is future.
There's people that have very good arguments that know all of these things were fulfilled. In 70 AD when the temple was destroyed.
And so maybe you hear that and you're like, whoa, you know, is this really future?
So I think maybe we can talk a little bit about that. Talk about. Why you know, the evidence that this is actually future events that this has not happened yet.
And so it's something that we're looking forward to. You know, things about the tribulation period and Dan, Daniel, seventieth week, all these things are, And Matthew, 24 and you know the all of a discourse there is.
Certainly aspects of this as you read it. It's the 70 AD destruction of the temple. And there's other.
Parts of it that are future.
And I think this is really common in Scripture. When you read Scripture, you read particular verses.
There are aspects of this verse. That is immediate. Application and it's speaking about something specific at that time, but yet it has a greater fulfillment yet to come.
Some people. Talk about a double fulfillment some people see pre-filment fulfillment so there's this idea so let's just take a look at Just as an example, one of these verses.
So. In general, not just Matthew, 24, but in general. So here, take a look at Hosea.
11.
Osia, 11. Verse one.
It says. When Israel was a child, I loved him. And out of Egypt, I called my son.
So here's a verse. That has a very specific meaning at the time. When Hosea was saying, you know, prophesying this, writing this inspired by the Holy Spirit.
You know, he didn't No, and understand the full meaning of this because we know that, you know, so there is.
The immediate kind of understanding that. He's talking about Israel. Being rescued, delivered from Egypt.
And we read that and we understand that. But we also know that a gospel writer inspired by the Holy Spirit use this about the Lord Jesus Christ.
So there was a kind of immediate understanding of it and then there was a greater fulfillment yet to come.
That's one example. Another example. And you know, this is sometimes you get a prophecy.
That said there's certain things that are fulfilled immediately and then it goes on to much long, you know, future events.
That have not yet happened. So here's an example of that, Luke one.
First 30.
Now this is, Christ's birth. Is announced by the angel.
Gabriel here. Says in loop one, verse 30. Then the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And behold, you will conceive and your woman bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great. And will be called the son of the highest. So you could read that portion and say that's already fulfilled.
When he was born when he came into this world, this earthly ministry, but then it goes on.
And the Lord will give him the throne of his father David.
And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom. There, will There will be no end.
So there's a something that hasn't happened yet. There's something that was fulfilled.
And now there's something even greater coming. And it's all said, just back to back.
Like, it's one after the other one after you do that. Other one of them after the other.
You could read that thinking that's all gonna happen in his lifetime. But that's not how it happened.
There's a something there's, there's a gap there in those verses. That we now understand looking back at this we understand that so The reason I'm seeing all that is because the all of a discourse Matthew 24 loop 21 mark 13 has a lot of that same type of.
Prophecy. There's things that are immediate. That could be applied at that moment at 70 AD, but then there's things that are future that have not happened yet.
So.
Before we jump into Matthew 24, just a little background if you remember. The Lord there at the end of his ministry in Matthew 23 he is He is.
Speaking with the scribes and Pharisees. And he has this. Judgments, these walls that he's putting upon.
The religious leaders of the day. Matthew, 23 for verse 13, but wall to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites.
Where you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men for you neither go in yourselves. Nor do you allow those who are entering to go in and he goes on board you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites.
He goes on and on and on and until finally He says here. Oh, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her, how often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks.
Under her wings but you were not willing. See, your house is left to you. Desolates.
For I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
So we've got this judgment against the nation of Israel and its religious leaders. That they have. They've, you know, the house is left desolate.
And it says here. You shall not, I'm sorry, you shall see me no more.
Until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We've got this huge gap.
Period. There's a gap there. You're not gonna see me again until the purpose of this chastisement.
Is completed. And that's something that has yet to come. That is a future event.
The judgment on Jerusalem. That is yet, that is, still in process or still happening.
It's the time of the Gentiles, we're going to talk about that. The time of the Gentiles.
So there's a gap here. In this in this time frame. So then he goes on. Now he's with his disciples here.
Take a look at. Matthew, 24.
It says then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple.
And Jesus said to them, do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say it to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another.
That shall not be thrown down. He's talking about right there, he's talking about 70 80, the destruction of the temple.
That's what he's talking about. This temple that you're seeing here in front of you.
This is going to be destroyed. In fact, every, there won't be one stone upon another.
That's what's going to happen here. And so the disciples hear this. And then in verse 3, now we sat down on the Mount of Olives.
The disciples came to him privately saying, tell us. When will these things be? So what things are they asking about the destruction of the temple?
You know, these, you know, perhaps some of these things that he said to the Pharisees.
Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming? And of the end of the age.
So they're asking a few different questions here. When are these things gonna happen? And when is the sign of your coming?
So they had an understanding that there's going to be a coming. And this age that we're living in today will be replaced with another age.
That was their understanding of this. And actually, this is a very. This particular view that they had this chronology of events.
Comes from zachariah so take a look at zachariah 14
And this is perhaps this is what they were. Thinking about.
In Zacharia. 14.
Cause they just heard that this Jerusalem the temple would be destroyed.
Perhaps their minds went to this passage here. Zechariah 14 versus one. Behold the day of the Lord is coming.
And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem.
The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, the women ravished, half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Then the Lord will go forth and fight. So immediately after. This, you know, the destruction of the.
Temple, the destruction of the city, the Lord will go out and fight. So that in their mind, that's what's gonna happen immediately.
That's what's gonna happen. The Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle and in the day his feet will stand on the mount of olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall be split in 2 from east to west making very making a very
large valley half of the mountain shall move. For the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall sleep through my mountain valley.
It goes on. Thus the Lord, my God will come and all the saints with you.
It shall come to pass in that day or 6. That there will be no light, the lights will diminish, it shall be one day which is known to the Lord neither day nor night, but at evening time it shall happen.
That it will be light and in that day it shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem. Half of them toward the eastern sea, half toward the western sea, in both summer and witcher shall occur, and the Lord shall be king over all the earth in that day.
It shall be the Lord is one and his name is one. So. Very well could have seen this as these events that are about to happen.
The end of the age. This is the new age. This is that millennium, the kingdom that's going to come.
That's what they're thinking about, perhaps. Is that's what. And that's I believe what their question is here.
What will be the sign of your coming? And of the end of the age. So when are these awesome, wonderful?
This king, the kingdom. When is this gonna happen?
But you know, I don't the Didn't know they didn't see that there was some time there between these 2 events.
There was some time between when the Lord was there with them and this destruction in 70 AD and the kingdom of God being established on the earth.
There's a huge amount of time that they did not see or understand. But we looking back on this and having all of scripture in front of us, the revelation, we can see that there was some time between those 2 events.
So
Hmm.
Let's look at Luke. 21. . 21
And. I think it's good to read all of these. Parallel passages.
It seems like they have different. A focus perhaps.
But like for example, When I talk, when I said before about how these prophecies they have a immediate application and they have a future application or fulfillment.
Here's an example, I believe, of a passage that has to do with immediate. Immediate.
A median fulfillment. And then, so Luke, 21 verse 20. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that it's desolation is near.
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her departs and let not those who are in the country enter her.
For these are the days of vengeance that all may, that all, that all things which are written may be fulfilled, but woe to those who are pregnant to those who are nursing babies in those days.
For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon his people and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations and Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
So these things. Fulfilled or you know partially fulfilled in that 70 AD event that happened when they were conquered and you know they were let away captive into all the nations.
Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles. Until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
So that's again, that's something that's happening right now. The times of the Gentiles.
And that's what's happening. But see, the future. Events that's going to happen.
That's really not. The chronology of what's gonna happen in the future.
When the nation surround Jerusalem you know we know that the Lord is going to come and deliver them and rescue them from this they're not going to be scattered throughout the world.
In fact, If you look, and, and also the other thing too that you see is that this, the focus.
When we read things that are happening or that immediate fulfillment, it's really its focus is on Jerusalem.
And then you read other portions. It seems like the focus is the entire world. And so we'll see that as well.
But then look at 25. Verse 25. This to me launches into the future.
And there will be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and on the earth to stresses of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts feeling them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.
For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws.
So that's something that did not happen in 70 80. That's something that's we're looking forward to happening.
And that's another. A difference here. The.
We see this. This rescue right so Yeah, the 70 AD, there was no rest.
There was there was no rescue. It was destruction and they were scattered and they were taken off from the captivity and all these sorts of things.
It was judgment. That's the key, I think, is you know, with the Lord when he was judging the nation there, the religious leaders, that was judgment.
80 70. But this future event. We're seeing redemption and rescue. We're seeing lift up your heads and look up your redemption draws in here.
You're gonna see the Son of God, the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power. That's it's a wonderful thing.
That's a rescue and redemption. That's something that's future.
The other thing that you see here in that Luke, 21 passage. Is there's a time gap.
Like I mentioned. So
That until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled and we are in that time right now. So Jerusalem is trampled by the Gentiles.
And it continues to be. Controlled mostly by the Gentiles. And that those times are not fulfilled yet.
So this is something that is still happening. There's a huge time gap. Now in the future.
In the future events of this. That's coming take a look at Matthew 24
So he talks about.
You know that
He talks about Matthew 24 here about the wars and rumors of wars and then he goes on talks about the abomination of desolation.
I'm gonna get to that. Then let those who are in your Judea fleet to the mountains over 16.
Let to them, let him who is in the house top not go down to take anything out of his house.
Woe to those who are pregnant. So we, read that in Luke. And then, you know, pray not pray that your flight may be not in the winter or in the Sabbath.
So it goes on and all these things about escaping this event and then it says here. Matthew, 2429 immediately.
After the tribulation of those days. Immediately. So there's this tor, terrible tribulation happening, but immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be dark and the moon will not keep its light, the stars will fall from heaven.
The verse 30 then the sign of the sun a man will appear. So there there's no time.
Differentiation, there's no time gap there. That is something that happens immediately. So that's another there's a difference.
There's a difference between the 70 AD event and the future event yet to happen.
So hopefully that's. Helpful to kind of see the differences in those events. You know, like I said, there's, you read this, there are things that, yeah, that's 70 80 and then there's other things that are Good our future.
So I think that's helpful to see that as we read. Yeah. Just trying to put it together.
. 24. Is that all Yeah, I, I think, that, Matthew, 24 is all future, I believe so.
It seems like what Matthew, 24 is saying is Kind of the same. Portion and loop that is future.
But yeah, that's what I think anyway. Yeah. Right, yeah.
So, let's just go through then. That won't be much longer. But let's take a look at Matthew 24.
Cause there's some say that, you know, the Disciples asked him this question, verse 3, tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming.
And of the end of the age and obviously he knew exactly their mindset and what they were thinking. When they asked that question and perhaps the this passage is kind of a correction of their thinking.
That. You know, there is some time, there's a time gap here that's gonna happen that you guys aren't aware of and then there's all these future events that are happening.
So. Verse 4 and Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no one deceives you for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many.
And you will hear of wars and rumors of war, see that you are not troubled. For all these things must come to pass.
But the end is not yet. So here he's telling them, look at there's Things need to happen first.
Before the end. Like in Zacharia, it seemed like it was just immediately.
Flowing into the next age. Here he's saying. There's some time that needs to go, needs to happen first.
There's a gap here.
Hmm. These things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For 7 for nation will rising its nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be famines pestilences and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows. The beginning of birth pangs. Now there's a passage in Jeremiah in regards to the Jacobs trouble.
He talks about men having birth pangs. It's unnatural. But it's, something that is, is showing that this about this event, this great, this, excuse me, this beginning of sorrows, the beginning of birth pangs, something is coming.
Hmm. And, you know, another thing I wanna mention here too is that these, this kind of sequence of events is really almost perfectly aligns with revelation 6 so let's take a look at revelation 6 here.
Deception, we have wars, rumors of wars, Famine's pestilences, earthquakes.
All these sorts of things. And when you read Revelation. 6, it seems like it flows exactly with what we just read Matthew, 24.
Let's take a look. Is, revelation 6 one. Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, I heard one of the 4 living creatures sing with a lot, with a voice like Thunder, come and see.
And I looked and behold a white horse. He who sat on it had a bowl and a crown was given to him and he went out.
Conquering and to conquer, this is the Antichrist. This is the Antichrist.
This is the spiritual deception that's coming to the earth. At this time. Verse 3, when you open the second seal, I heard a second living creature saying come and see and another horse fiery red went out and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth.
And that people should kill one another. And it was given to him a great source. So wars and rumors of wars.
5. When you open the third seal, I heard the third living creature say come and see it.
So I looked and behold a black horse and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hands.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the 4 living creatures saying, a court of a wheat for a denarius and 3 quarts of barley for denariants and do not harm the oil and wine so that is scarcity, it's, like it says.
In Matthew 24. Famines. So food becomes scarce. Verse 7 in revelation 6.
When he opened the 4 seal I heard of voice. Of the fourth living creature saying come and see so I look to be able to pale horse.
In the name of him. Who sat on it was death and Hades followed him and power was given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword with hunger, with death and by beasts of the earth.
Famine, pestilence, all these sorts of things that were that were happening there. In Matthew 24 so Again, revelation being written in 95 AD.
It wouldn't make sense. That these prophecies are talking about something that happened in 70, this is.
Future events. That we see in revelation.
So let's go back to Matthew 24. And we'll just keep going here. We're almost We're almost, I'm not gonna go through the entire chapter.
I'll have more I'll show mercy on you here today.
So, verse 9, Matthew, 24 versus 9. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my namesake.
Can you see it's not a focus on Jerusalem in Israel. It's all nations.
It's talking about all nations. So this is not something that happened in 70 AD. This is something that's going to happen in the future.
Verse 10 and then many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another.
Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many and because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow.
Cold, but he who endures to the end. Shelby saved. So again, this idea of enduring to the end, that's time going past.
No saved here. Now there's if you, if you take this to be.
You know, the nation of Israel and during the this period the church is going to be gone at this time.
So it's talking about godly Jews or people who are believers here. And, saved doesn't always mean Justified, there's, you know, the word can mean a lot of different things.
It can mean physically saves. When Peter was sinking in the water, he said, Lord save me, right?
He wasn't say Lord justify me. He was Lord rescue me from I'm about to drown.
So it can mean a lot of different things. But, you know, there is a rescue coming here.
For these people during this time period. And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world.
So again, this idea of the world, this is not focused just on Jerusalem in 70 80, this is the whole world.
The gospel the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations And then the end will come.
And that's where we begin the great tribulation. So we had the The beginning of sorrows.
Now we've got the great tribulation starting the first 3 and a half years from the seventeenth week of Daniel.
I haven't gotten there yet, but. And then this is the second 3 and a half years.
And then here's the midpoint right here, verse 15. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet.
Standing in the holy place. Whoever reads, let him understand. So here's the difference here.
You remember Jesus said that there would not be one stone upon the other of that temple. That temple in 70 80 you'd be completely wiped out destroyed.
Here, this future event, you have. You actually have, Antichrist.
Standing in a built temple. So this is a different temple. This is not the same. This is not the 70 80 temple.
This is a temple that's standing.
So the abomination of desolation spoken of by the by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place.
So let's take a look real quick at Daniel 9.
So this is the. Prophecy of the 70 weeks.
Just a few verses here.
Hmm.
So Lord has a program. The Lord, he has a program for the Nation of Israel. He's not done with it.
But here in Daniel 9 verse 2470 weeks are determined. So. A week here is to be understood.
Not a week of days. But a week of years so 7 years is a week and actually if Literally it says 70 sevens.
So, 2477. 7 years. Are determined. So, 490 years.
The Lord has determined that there's 490 years. And what's gonna happen in those 490 years?
It says so these 490 years are determined for your people and for your whole city to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring an everlasting righteousness to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.
So that's God's program for the nation of Israel, those things. And then it goes on, it says, First, 25.
No, therefore, and understand that from the going force of the command to restore and build Jerusalem. Until the Messiah the Prince shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks 69 weeks.
483. Years. 483 years. From in Second Chronicles, 36.
When the command was to go forth and rebuild your Jerusalem until Jesus would come on the scene. Was, 483 years.
And people smarter than me. I figured it out and that's exactly right. See, that's exactly right.
483 years from when that happened and second track was 36 to when Jesus walked into Jerusalem on that horse was 483 years.
So that. Event those that happened. Those years. It goes on.
The streets shall be built again in the wall, even in troublesome times, and after the 62 weeks Messiah shall be cut off.
But not for himself. And the people of the Prince. So that's the Antichrist.
So Messiah cut off so. My merger says, the death penalty. So when Messiah.
Paid for the SINCE. He, he died on the cross, not for himself. But then it says, and the people of the Prince, the Antichrist.
Who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it will be with a flood to the end of the war, desolations are determined.
That's the desolation of abomination or it goes on here. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week.
One week. A week of years, 7 years, but in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to the sacrifice and offering.
So right in the middle of that 70,
Right in the middle of that week of 7 years, that's when he will. Bring an end to the sacrifice and offering in the temple and on the wing of the abomination shall he shall be one who makes desolate.
So that's the abomination of desolation. He's going to stand in the.
Temple and proclaim himself God.
Which is now we're in that. 73 right so we had the 69 weeks Now we have the emergence of the Antichrist.
And that final, 70 weeks. So there's a gap here between. These year, 69 weeks and the seventeenth week.
And that's where we're living today. And that's something that Daniel didn't see.
You didn't see that gap. Today looking back we see it and we know that These things already happened.
This thing has yet to happen. There's a gap. So back there in Matthew, 24 and we're almost done.
I'm just.
So verse twice, take a look at Matthew, 2421. Talking about these events here, feature events, and then there will be great tribulations such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time.
No, nor ever shall be. I think You know, obviously there's been terrible awful things that have happened.
To the nation of Israel. You know, the Jewish people in the world, but this is something that's going to be even worse than we can even imagine.
There's nothing in the past. That we could look at that says it was the worst thing that ever happened ever and there's nothing that's gonna be worse ever.
It's just. It's a terrible, terrible time.
So I think I'm just gonna end there. It's, there's but it's a, it's a great study.
I encourage you to, read, the Matthew, 24. Luke, 21, mark 13, Revelation, Daniel, all these things are they're really, exciting to see these things.
And to recognize that God does have a program and it's happening. You know, we have a privilege of being in, you know, right here, right now in this program.
You know, it's obviously these are things that are. Our understanding is imperfect.
You know, the the Pharisees study the scriptures and they they tried to understand everything but and the Lord said you you can see the sky, but you don't see the sign, you know, the sign of the times, like you're you're missing it completely and you know that would be my prayers that we don't miss the things
that we're supposed to be seeing. That's right in front of us. And sometimes we, you know, And we, you know, Ray talked about it too, people, setting dates or reading these things and so sure that these things are gonna be this way and they completely miss the actual truth that's right in front of
them. But yeah, it's, fun to, read and to try to. Put these things together.
And hopefully this is helpful. And, we may. We may have some other topics and times topics that we can discuss.
Before we finish. Second Thessalonians. So let's bring. Heavenly Father, I thank you for this time.
Thank you for your word. Help us load to understand. What you have for us help us to to put these things together that you've given us all of this information.
All of these verses help us to. Put them in the proper context help us to understand what you're doing, how you'd want us to, apply these things in our lives.
We thank you that we can rest in the knowledge of. Our sins are forgiven and Lord that that we can, No that.
You're for us and then the church will be removed from this place. As your people.
Thank you Lord that. That you will you will make all things right. In this world and that we can trust you for that.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.